The Birthday Gift
by Raiha-chan
Summary: It's Ran's birthday and everyone has gifts for him. But Sakura's gift may get a bit...troublesome, shall we say? Please take the time to R&R! ^^ [shounen ai]
1. Chapter I

****

The Birthday Gift

[Chapter I]

By: Raiha-chan

Spoilers: End of Weiß, episode 24.

Warnings: Contains shounen ai, and may be a bit OOC in some parts.

Pairings: RanxYoji, hints of SchuxRan, NagixOmi. That's all for now. ^^;;;

Disclaimers: Weiß Kreuz and its character do not belong to me. Please do not sue me. My wallet is called "The Fly House" for a reason. ~.~;;

* * *

****

[July 1, mid-morning]

Ah...beautiful lovely July. What made Kudou Yoji so stressed this time of year? It sure ain't PMS. It was July. That time of the year, when a certain redhead celebrates his birthday.

And if this was like every other year, there won't be a huge celebration. The redhead loathed such things. But that was an "if" statement.

This year was different. How so? Because his sister is here. She even had a surprise party planned for him since the last week of June.

In just 3 more days, Fujimiya Ran will turn 22. Everyone already bought gifts for the redhead. Everyone but Yoji. The older man has been racking his brain recently trying to figure out what to get the redhead. He wanted the gift to be something special.

Two years ago, he would just grab the nearest decent-looking thing, wrap it up and shove it in the redhead's hands. So why is he being so picky two years later, in the present day?

Because he recently found out that he has a special liking towards the redhead. He doesn't know if the object of his affection returns the affection or not but he was willing to find out. Yoji knows he might be risking the friendship they shared but he'd rather die knowing the answer than to never know at all.

+++++

"Oy, Omi," Ken walked over to the said boy.

"Nani?" the younger boy turned cerulean eyes up towards the brunette.

"Yoji spaced out again," settling the flowerpot onto the floor, Ken leaned against the counter. His head was tilted towards the older man.

"Ah," Omi smiled slightly, understanding dawning. "Three more days, ne?"

"I wonder what that man would decide to give Ran?"

"Something useful, I hope. He got Ran-kun a book on the you-know-what last year."

"That wasn't useful? I thought that was useful…"

"Ken-kun!"

"Kidding, kidding." Ken's smile grew into a frown. "I saw our redhead throw it away when the night was over."

"I know. I found it in the garbage can," Omi sighed.

"Anou…" a short brown-haired girl came up to the register.

"Hmm?" Ken turned around and cracked a smile. "Sakura-chan! What brings you here this time of day?"

"Aya-chan and I are meeting up to go to the park today," the brunette replied.

"Aa, sou ka," Ken nodded, attentively. "So that's why she came to the flower shop this morning to help out. I think she's in the backroom."

"Thanks!" Sakura gave a small wave then ran off into the backroom.

"What do you think she's getting him?" Omi asked, as he watched the young girl's retreating back.

"I don't know," Ken shrugged then pulled at his apron. "Ah, well, let's hope Yoji gets something good. Until then, want some breakfast? I'll buy."

"Ha~ai!"

+++++

"Ne, Sakura-chan," Aya took a careful lick of her vanilla-flavored ice cream. "What did you get for oniisan's birthday?"

"Ehh?" Sakura tilted her head towards the older girl. She then broke into a wide grin and placed a finger over her pink lips. "Sore wa…himitsu desu!"

"Mou, Sakura-chan! Hidoi!" Aya pouted. "Can't you give a little hint?"

"Iie," Sakura shook her hand firmly. "You'll find out soon enough, though. But, enough about me. What did YOU get?"

"A sweater," the older girl replied, as the two continued their strolling in the park. "Knitted by yours truly!"

"Sugoi! I didn't know you know how to knit."

"I just started learning so I don't think the sweater looks the best," Aya smiled sheepishly.

"I'm sure Ran-san will love it, since it came from you. Someday, I'm going to ask you to teach me."

"So you can make him one, too, ne?" Aya winked.

"Mou!" Sakura blushed a pale red color, while the older girl giggled endlessly. The younger one became thoughtful suddenly. "Ne, Aya? What do you think of Yoji?"

"Ehh?" Aya blinked. "You're not going after Yoji-kun, are you? I thought you liked oniisan."

"I do! But…well, this is just a hunch so don't take me seriously. But, I have a feeling that Yoji-san might like Ran-san."

"Of course he does! They're friends!"

"No, no! I don't mean 'like' as friends…I meant it as…"

"Nani?" Aya licked the drops of ice cream from her finger. "You meant as in 'love'? Mou, I don't think Yoji-kun likes oniisan in that kind of way. Everyone knows he's strictly a ladies' man."

The young brunette shrugged lightly. "Like I said, it was just a hunch."

"Why would you think that anyway?"

"I don't know…"

* * *

****

[July 1, early afternoon]

The bell on the door chimed sweetly, signaling the entrance of someone. Ken turned around and was about to welcome the customer before seeing that it was the redhead.

"Ran! You're here!" Ken beamed and took off his apron. The redhead nodded back at him, in response. "Well, I'm off. I'll be back during closing time. Ja!" With a final wave, the soccer player ran off.

"He sure was in a hurry," Yoji came back in from his cigarette break and watched the brunette run down the block with a slight amusement. He broke into a laugh when the younger boy had nearly tripped over his own feet.

"I think he had soccer practice with the kids," Omi said, as he tended to the flowers. "Ne, Yoji-kun? Help me get a pot, will ya?"

"Sure thing, kiddo." The blond sauntered towards the backroom, and mumbled a 'hello' to the redhead as he was passing by. The redhead simply nodded back in acknowledgement.

"Good afternoon, everyone!" a cheery nasal voice announced as the shop's door was slammed open. "Everyone's most loveable and most favorite guy is here. Let's not all jump him at once now."

Omi let out a frustrated groan. "Sometimes, you're even worse than Yoji-kun."

"I am very hurt that you compared me to that man," the German pouted playfully. He then strolled over towards the silent redhead and planted a big one on the latter's cheek. "Hey, Red! How ya doing?"

"Something tells me you want something," Ran fixed the German a look, while his hand went to wipe at the wet cheek.

"Ack! Busted! But honestly, though, I don't need anything. Just saying 'hello' to my bestest buddy!"

"Don't believe a word he says, Ran-kun," a soft voice came from behind them. "He probably just wants money."

"Nagi! How can you say such a thing??" the German redhead placed a hand above his heart. "I'm wounded!" Suddenly, his head snapped to the left. Omi and Ran both turned and looked at him, while Nagi was trying to suppress his giggles.

Growling, the German proceeded to chase the teenager outside, cursing in German the entire while.

+++++

Yoji could hear all the commotion outside. Schuldich and Nagi were here, it seems. Yes, those two had been their rivals a couple of months back but now, they were friends.

After their last fight in the Estet building, Schwarz have been missing. Everyone had assumed they were dead, until they showed up again nearly two months later. When Weiss and Schwarz met head on again, the latter did not want to fight. A truce, they had called.

Ever since then, the two teams worked together when necessarily. Aside from meeting for missions, they also tend to waltzed by the shop every now and then. It wasn't easy for Weiss to trust those four and it took about a month before Schwarz was accepted. But, they weren't as bad as they were viewed to be many months ago.

Yoji stood and stretched, before picking up the forgotten pot and headed back outside.

* * *

****

[July 1, night]

He rammed the blade deep into the nameless man's guts, twisting it slightly, before pulling it back out. The man dropped into an unconscious heap before him, having a second or so to spat out a commonly used profanity before his fall.

Suddenly, he felt pain sear up his leg like fire. Amethyst eyes fell towards the wound located right below the knee.

He'd been shot. Strange how he didn't even noticed it.

"Yo, let's go," Yoji broke through his thoughts. The redhead looked up at the blond, as the latter's face broke into shock. "Shit, what the hell happened?!"

"I don't know," Ran shrugged.

"What do you mean you don't know? You ran around with a bullet in your leg and you didn't feel it?!"

The redhead didn't answer.

"Come on, we'll patch it up back at the apartment."

+++++

"Oniisan, you should really be careful from now on," Aya scolded as she tied the knot on the cloth tightly. "There! All done!"

"Arigato," Ran smiled slightly at his sister. He had told her how he had earned the money during the time when she was comatose. Truthfully, he was expecting the young girl to stare at him in disgust then turn away and walk out of his life forever. Surely, he was not expecting her to be entirely understanding. But she was and Ran was grateful for that.

"Hey, what about me?" Yoji pouted playfully, as he pointed at the black and blue bruise on his left cheek. "Will no one tend to this old man? He's very hurt."

"Oh, shut it," Ken rolled his eyes and he dabbed at the bruise with a wet cotton ball, causing a yelp from the other at the sudden pain.

"Try to be a bit more gentle, ne, Kenken?" Yoji winced at the pain. "Yoji is a very fragile person."

"Ri~ght," Ken rolled his eyes once again while Omi hid his laughter behind a white pillow.

****

[Ende]

Ending Commentary: I do believe this was the crappiest thing I've written thus far. ~.~;;; For future references, I will skip around with the dates so don't expect Chapter II to be July 2nd. ^.^


	2. Chapter II

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The Birthday Gift

[Chapter II]

By: Raiha-chan

Spoilers: None.

Warnings: Shounen ai, may be a bit OOC in some areas.

Pairings: RanxYoji, hints of SchuxRan, NagixOmi.

Disclaimers: Weiß Kreuz and its character do not belong to me. Please do not sue me. My wallet is called "The Fly House" for a reason. ~.~;;

* * *

****

[July 3, night]

Schuldich poke his head into the slightly darkened room. He found his target sitting on the bed, with his back facing the door. Whatever he was doing, he was focused so intensely on it that he didn't hear the German creeping up behind him. The redhead whispered "boo" rather loudly in the other's ear, causing the latter to jump up in surprise.

"Hello, my lovely," Schuldich grinned at the still trembling blond. "Did I scare you?"

"Why you little--!" Yoji bit back on his retort, and fell back down onto the bed with an exasperated sigh. "What do you want?"

"Just wondering what you're up to."

"Nothing."

"What did you get for Red anyway?"

"…"

"If you must know, I got him a nice set of dagger collection…" Yoji raised an eyebrow at that. Schuldich silenced him when the blond was about to speak. "Let the man finish. Now, where was I? Oh, yes. Originally, it had been a dagger collection and then I figured, why not give that to Farfie instead? Since I was beginning to doubt that Red will like it…"

"He won't."

"Can't you wait until I'm done? You're so impatient. Jeesh. Now…where was I? Oh, right." Yoji rolled his eyes, while the speaker cast him a look. "So, in the end, I got him a stuffed toy bear."

The blond blinked. "And Ran will like that because…?"

"It came from me," Schuldich replied, with a wide smile.

"Yeah, okay, whatever," Yoji went back to his previous activity, before the German had interrupted.

"What are you doing?" Schuldich peered over the blonde's shoulder and found that the latter was fiddling with a piece of thread. "What's that?"

"You're nosy, you know that?"

"Damn right, sweetie. So what is it?"

"Nothing."

"You know, if you don't tell me, I'll just have to pick it out of your head."

"Do that and I will murder you."

"Ha. Like you can." The room fell into a silence as Yoji did not response. "Let me guess…a present for Red?"

"No."

"Oh, come on, Kudou. A blind person can tell you got the hots for Red. I mean, who wouldn't? Just LOOK at that boy. He looks good enough to eat."

"…"

"But anyway. So, you're making him something? It looks like a necklace…either that, or it's a bracelet."

"Choker."

"Ah, I see. A plain choker or a very decorative one?" Yoji glared at the redhead with annoyance. "Okay, okay. But you know that sooner or later, I shall pick it out of your head. It's only a matter of whether I shall do it or not. And being the nice person that I am, I won't."

"Nice, my ass," Yoji scoffed.

"See, that is exactly what is wrong with humanity. Be nice to people and they treat you like shit. Example, what just happened now. I was trying to be nice to you and you look like you're about to kick me out of your room."

"God, you talk too much," Yoji pinched the bridge of his nose as he felt a headache coming. "There's a fine line between being nice and being annoying. You were being annoying."

"It's my nature. Can't help it, you know?"

"Get out."

"Bitch."

"Why, thank you. Now, get out before I take up on your earlier offer and kick you out."

"Why don't you? A nice big kick to my rear-end. Why don't you do that?" And Yoji obeyed the German.

* * *

****

[July 4, morning]

"Ohayo, minna-san!" Aya bounced into the shop cheerfully, with Sakura following close behind. "Today's the big day!"

"Aa," Omi nodded.

"But…" Yoji stretched lazily. "I don't see why he can't work on his birthday. This is just so unfair."

"We didn't have you work on YOUR birthday so hush, Yoji-kun," Omi scolded. He then turned back to the young girl. "Where are we holding the party anyway? We can't use the Koneko because then, we're going to have to close early. And if he walks by, he'll find that to be strange."

"We're using Brad-san's place," Sakura replied.

"Ah, I see," Ken nodded at the young brunette. "You're going over there later to put up the necessary decorations and stuff?"

"Yes," Aya nodded. "Schuldich-kun said he was going to help us. Nagi-kun, too."

"I can see Nagi doing some things but not Schuldich," Yoji mumbled.

"Mou, that's mean, Yoji-kun!"

"But it's true, though! I'd bet you 20 bucks that, that idiot is not going to do a single crap at the house."

"I wouldn't take that bet if I were you, Aya-chan," Sakura advised.

"Who was I kidding?" Aya sighed. "I guess it can't be helped, ne? Ah, well. I think we should go now."

"So early?" Omi glanced at the clock resting against the wall.

"Crawford-kun said Schuldich brought home some 'friends' last night. What did that mean?"

"The man had a party and you have to clean up," Yoji simply said. He turned the young girl around and gave her a slight push towards the door. "Now, run along. Go do whatever it is you gotta do at Crawford's place."

"Hei, hei." With a wave, the two young girls walked away from the shop.

+++++

"Good morning, minna," the short brunette stepped inside the shop, closing his wet umbrella.

"Nasty weather we have, ne, Nagi?" Ken smiled as he took the younger boy's umbrella. "So what brings you here? I thought you were going to help out with the decoration stuff."

"I'm just here to pick up Omi," Nagi replied. "He said he was going to help, too."

"Oh, that's right," the soccer player slapped his forehead lightly then grinned sheepishly at the younger boy. "I forgot. I think he's in the back alley, pulling in some plants we left outside."

"Aa, domo," the telekinetic nodded and headed towards the back.

"Hey, you're back," Ken turned to find Yoji coming in through the door. "Thank God. I was wondering when you'd be back. I'm starved!"

"You think with your stomach, don't you?" Yoji raised an eyebrow.

"Do not!" Ken growled, before he snatched the brown paper bag from the older man's hands and proceeded to stuff himself silly.

+++++

He awoke to the pressure on his back. Turning his head to the side with a slight difficulty, he saw wisps of reddish orange-colored hair.

The redhead let out a slightly annoyed groan. "What do you want?"

Schuldich peeked out from underneath the comforter. "You're not one to wake up late. Thought I'd give you a nice wake-up call."

"I'll wake up whenever the hell I want to now get out of my room and leave me be."

Choosing to ignore the glare that followed the redhead's words, Schuldich leaned up and kissed the younger man on the cheek. "Happy birthday! Want to see what I got for you? Huh, huh? Yeah?"

Ran rose an elegant eyebrow at the other's behavior. The German started bouncing on the bed slightly, like a little kid.

"Alright."

"Didn't bring it. Forgot to."

Ran let out another groan. "Go away, Schuldich. I would like to sleep." The other man gave no response but only leaned closer to the redhead. Dangerously closer.

"Have no one told you how pretty you are?"

"Yes. You."

"Oh, I did?" The German blinked. "Ah, well. Ever been kissed?"

"…"

"Probably never did. Wanna know how it feels like? I'll give you a nice little birthday kiss."

Without bother to replying, Ran punched the other redhead in the face, causing the latter to fall down the bed and onto the hard floor. Moments later, the German reappeared.

"You're no fun," Schuldich pouted. "Kudou is much more fun than you are. At least the boy doesn't get so violent."

"I have a birthday wish," Ran ignored the German's comments.

"What? Does it involve me?"

"Yes…"

"Oh, really? What?"

"I wish…" Ran paused for a moment, his left hand reaching out to grope a pillow. "I wish I have never met you in my entire life!" Grabbing the pillow, he proceeded to smack the German's face with it. "Now get OUT!"

Pulling the comforter over his face, Ran heard the sounds of the other redhead's fake sobs.

****

[Ende]


	3. Chapter III

****

The Birthday Gift

[Chapter III]

By: Raiha-chan

Warnings: Shounen ai, may be a bit OOC in some areas.

Pairings: RanxYoji, hints of SchuxRan, NagixOmi.

Disclaimers: Weiß Kreuz and its character do not belong to me. Please do not sue me. My wallet is called "The Fly House" for a reason. ~.~;;

// denotes thoughts.

% denotes mental communication.

* * *

****

[July 4, mid-afternoon]

Yoji knocked on the door again, for what seemed to be the tenth time. No one seemed to be coming to open the door anytime soon. Noticing that the door wasn't lock, the blond let himself inside quietly.

There was a figure on the bed, covered completely by the white linen comforter. Yoji blinked when he saw that the lump was too big to be one person.

//Unless Ran suddenly grew fat without us noticing…// Yoji thought. Stepping closer to the bed, the blond realized there was not one, but two, people sleeping on the bed.

%Kudou%

Yoji jumped slightly as a pair of jade orbs peered at him over the hem of the comforter.

%What the fuck are YOU doing HERE?!%

%H~o, cool down a bit, Kudou. We're just sleeping. And if you must know, we're not naked nor did we bed each other.%

Yoji managed not to laugh at that.

%Why don't you people EVER believe a word I say?%

%Because you're an unbelievable person.%

%Haha, very funny.%

%Odd, I didn't meant that to be funny.%

%Fuck off, Kudou. Back to what I was saying. I may like Ran as something more than a friend but I'm better than to mess with my buddy's object of lust.%

The blond blinked.

%You don't believe me!% Schuldich gave a mental sigh.

%Was I supposed to?%

%No, but that's beside the point! Oh, don't look but I have reasons to believe our kitten here has awoken. He seems grouchy, too…%

%He's always grouchy.%

%True%

"Good afternoon, Ran," Schuldich switched back to normal speaking mode. "We have company."

The redhead pulled the comforter down slightly and looked at the blond standing at the foot of the bed. "What is it?"

"Ken asked if you wanted food," Yoji replied.

"No," came the response, followed by a small growl.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," the blond ignored the answer Ran had given him and retreated from the room.

"I think I should go home now," Schuldich stood and stretched lazily. "There's a mess I need to clean up. Although, I wouldn't be too surprised to find the place sparkling clean by the time I get back. Your sister does that sometimes."

"It's called being tidy. You should learned that sometimes, too."

"Very funny."

"I wasn't punching for anything funny."

"God, sometimes you are so like Kudou."

* * *

****

[July 4, night]

Grabbing the green blazer from the passenger seat, Ran stepped out of his Porsche and headed towards the building. Schuldich called about an hour ago saying that he left his jacket in Ran's room, and had asked the latter to bring it over to his house. With nothing better to do and no one at his own home, Ran set off for Schwarz's penthouse.

He rang the doorbell and heard it echo inside. When no one answered, he rang it again. He was about to leave after the third try when the door suddenly creaked open. Ran stared at the small opening, at the darkness inside.

He rolled his eyes. //I'll be damned if that guy rented another scary movie again.//

Placing a pale hand on the smooth surface of the door, Ran pushed it open and walked inside, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the dark.

//Why on Earth is the place so dark?// Ran's train of thoughts was halted when the lights suddenly opened and his friends jumped at him.

"Surprise!"

Ran blinked.

"Happy birthday, Red!" Schuldich waltzed over to the stunned redhead. He took his jacket from the younger redhead. "Thanks for bringing this over by the way. We didn't really think it would be a good enough excuse to get you over. But Mr. Crawford here had other thoughts."

"It's so nice to see into the future sometimes," Brad pushed his glasses up.

"…" Ran looked around the room. Everyone was there -- Ken, Omi, Nagi, Yoji, Sakura, his imouto, even that insane Irishman.

"Don't just stand there!" Ken scolded.

"First things first, let's open some gifts!" Schuldich rubbed his hands together gleefully. He then pulled the silent redhead towards the center of the room, where a bunch of nicely wrapped gifts laid, waiting to be open.

"This one is from me," the German shoved a shoebox-sized box into the birthday boy's hands.

"Why is it wrapped in Christmas wrappings?" Aya sweatdropped.

"'Cause I couldn't find anything else."

"You could have just went out to buy some wrapping paper."

"Too lazy. Now, shut it."

Ran peeled the cheerful wrappings away at a steady pace. Opening the lid of the box, he pulled out a teddy bear, holding a small balloon in one hand that read 'happy birthday'.

"…Cute," Ran blinked. "And I would like this because…?"

"Oh, shut up."

"Here's mine! I made it myself so I hope you like it!" Aya beamed at her older brother.

"He'd like anything coming from you," Schuldich mumbled, while Ran gave him a look. The redhead opened the second gift with a slight haste and pulled out a black turtleneck sweater. On the collar was a word.

'Ran'.

"He's not like Yoji-kun, Aya-chan," Omi giggled. "He doesn't put his own name on his clothing, like Yoji-kun did with his…mmpfrhh!!" The rest of the sentence was silenced by Yoji's palm over Omi's mouth.

"Next present!" Ken pulled out a small, rectangular-shaped box. "It's a watch."

"You got him a watch?" Schuldich rose an eyebrow.

"Shut up."

"Here's mine," Farfarello pushed a sloppily wrapped box into the redhead's hands.

"Yeah, Farfie got you a present, too," Schuldich said, as a brief look of surprise crossed Ran's face. "Wonder what he got you."

It was a dagger.

"Well, go figure," Brad commented.

"That was one of my favorite ones, too," Farfarello smiled rather evilly. "I polish it every day and night. You must take good care of it."

"I thought he gets sane after you put him on his medication," Ken said.

"He is," Nagi looked at the brunette. "This is how he acts when he's on his medication. Don't you think it's better than when he was off the medication?"

"Yeah…whatever."

"Anyway, here's mine and Omi's," Nagi placed a box on top of the coffee table. The two youngest boys had gotten the redhead a poetry book.

"I'm beginning to think they are the only ones in here who got Red useful gifts," Schuldich said. "By the way, Bradley got you one, too."

"Here," Brad tossed a manila folder at the redhead. Opening it, Ran took out a few sheets of paper. Schuldich looked at it over Ran's shoulder and promptly fell down laughing.

"Figures you'd get him something like that."

"I don't get people presents. I don't do birthdays, period."

"True…"

"What is it?" Sakura asked, with a slight interest.

"Stocks," Ran replied with a dull tone. "Tell me there's no more."

"Here's mine," Yoji placed a small velvet bag onto the table. Looking at it with true interest, Ran picked the bag up and pulled the knot apart. Reaching inside, he grasped something smooth and pulled it out.

It was the choker that Yoji had been working on earlier but now, it's been decorated with a rose pendant. The ruby etched in the pendant gleam brightly.

"Thanks," Ran managed a small smile at the older man, a true smile.

"And don't forget Sakura-chan's present!" Aya reminded. Sakura, who had remained hidden behind the couch for most part of the gift-giving process, now stood and walked over to the redhead. She held out a hand, palm facing up.

Ran blinked up at her. She had a red bowstring tied neatly around her neck. The string's ends draped around her shoulders, falling back behind her.

"My present for Ran-san is…" Sakura blushed slightly. "…myself."

****

[Ende]


	4. Chapter IV

****

The Birthday Gift

[Chapter IV]

By: Raiha-chan

Warnings: Shounen ai, may be a bit OOC in some areas.

Pairings: RanxYoji, hints of SchuxRan, NagixOmi.

Disclaimers: Weiß Kreuz and its character do not belong to me. Please do not sue me. My wallet is called "The Fly House" for a reason. ~.~;;

// denotes thoughts.

% denotes mental communication

* * *

__

"My present for Ran-san is…" Sakura blushed slightly. "…myself."

****

[July 4, night]

Ran blinked, as does everyone else in the room. No one spoke. The young brunette began to fidget uncomfortably.

"N-nani?" Ran finally managed to choke out.

"I am your birthday present," Sakura spoke again, her blush diminishing slowly.

"W-why?" Ran gulped. A slight blush was creeping up his face.

"You've got to be kidding…" Schuldich whispered to no one.

"Iie, not at all," Sakura shook her head furiously. "Won't you accept…Ran-san?"

"I…"

"Of course he will!" Aya interrupted her brother. "He's VERY happy with this present. Aren't you, oniisan?"

"I…" Ran looked at the faces of his friends, then his sister's. "…Yes."

"Yatta!" Aya clapped her hands together happily as the redhead beside her grimaced inwardly. Everyone else clapped weakly, still shocked by what had just occurred.

Yoji, on the other hand, felt as though he was going to be sick.

%Yotan, daijoubu?%

%A-aa…%

%No, you're not!%

%No…I'm not…%

%Don't just stand there, then. Do something!%

%What CAN I do, Schu?! He accepted the goddamn present! He accepted HER! What the fuck else can I do?!%

%You didn't really think he actually accepted her, did you?% The German turned and fixed Yoji an unreadable glance.

%W-what?%

Schuldich sighed mentally. %Sure, he accepted the 'present' but that did not mean he accepted HER. Everyone knew that all Red thinks of Sakura is as though she was another one of his sister. Even Aya knows that.%

%But…%

%Yeah, I know Aya was the one who forced Red to take the gift. But you'd be surprised if you can hear what the girl is thinking now.%

Suddenly, a blast of thoughts invaded Yoji's mind.

//I hope oniisan won't be TOO unhappy. I know Sakura-chan really liked oniisan and would be devastated if oniisan had declined the offer. But still, that gave me no right to do what I did…//

%In short% Schuldich cut off the connection. %She regrets what she did to her oniisan but can't bear to see her best friend sad.%

%Fuck her sadness, what about mine?!%

%Now, now, Yoji. I doubt their relationship will go anywhere beyond the friendship point.%

%That was so reassuring.%

The German looked at him, amused, and did not reply. Instead, he spoke out loud, over the voices of the two excited girls. "Yotan and I are going somewhere."

"Eh?" Sakura tilted her head to a side, confused. "Where are you going? The party didn't even end yet."

"Nowhere special." Schuldich winked at the blond, then grabbed his hand and pulled him away. The others remaining blinked at their retreating backs.

+++++

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Yoji snarled, as the two walked slowly down the sidewalk.

"I took us out so we can talk about what just happened in there more privately," Schuldich replied. "Don't you think that was great idea?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever. What else is there to talk about?"

"First, I'd like to say that nearly everyone knows about your little crush on Red," Schuldich stared straight ahead, his voice calm.

"W-what?!" Yoji nearly tripped over his own feet.

"Please, Kudou," Schuldich rolled his eyes. "You should've seen the way you looked at him when you thought no one else was looking. Also, you shouldn't drink so much. Alcohol is bad for you."

Yoji's face took a red color, then his cheeks puffed out in anger. "You little--! Who knows?!"

"Oh, not much people. Me, you, Ken, Omi, Nagi, and Brad."

"WHAT?!"

"I think it went something like this…" Schuldich held up a finger. "First, I was rummaging through your head while you were sleeping and found out your little secret. I didn't tell anyone, don't worry."

"Oh, gee, thanks. You're such a great friend."

"I know. Second, Ken and Omi were starting to wonder why you were so protective of Red all of a sudden, since around two months ago. Then, the two of them heard you mumbling while you were out cold. You REALLY should stop drinking, Yotan. Third, Nagi found out from Omi.

"Don't blame the boy, though. It's not his fault that Nagi can be very persuasive. And Brad…well, he can predict the future. 'Nuff said."

"Oy vey," Yoji groaned and slumped down to the ground.

"Also," Schuldich knelt in front of the blond. "I think Sakura is beginning to question things."

"I can't believe this…"

"Yes, well, you'll live."

"…"

"Although, I do have a proposition for you."

"What?"

"I could help you with your current situation. I'm sure the others will help, too."

"At the cost of…?"

"Why must you think every good thing comes with a catch, Yotan?"

"Because they do."

"Alright, fine. Here's the catch," Schuldich leaned forward and whispered something into Yoji's ear, causing the latter to turn beet red.

"You're worse than Manx and Birman combined!"

"Oh, please. I'm not the world's top yaoi freak so please, lay off that comparison. Anyway, now that you know what I want, would you agree with me?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"With me? Of course not, sweetie," Schuldich grinned then pat the other on the back.

"You're a sick bastard."

"Thank you. I hear that all the time, Yotan."

* * *

****

[July 5, early night]

"Whoo-hoo! I'm here!! Did you miss me? Of COURSE you did!"

"Shut it, Schu," Nagi glared at the older man.

"You little freak," Schuldich snarled at the brunette. "I would beat you to a pulp, like I always do, but I have more important things to do."

"Ah, you forget, Schu. Most of the time, I beat YOU up."

"Don't rub it in," the German turned to Ken. "See, this is a perfect example of how success can go to one's head. OW!"

Nagi blew at the imaginary smoke on his finger. "Ah…life is good."

"Why, you little--!" Schuldich was about to lung at the younger boy when a familiar force held him back. "I'm going to mess your head big time, kid!!"

"Yeah, sure," Nagi rolled his eyes.

"Hey, can we please stop bickering like little kids?" Omi pulled on Nagi's ear. "We have a mission to do."

"Ha~ai!" Nagi whimpered at the slight pain. The older boy lets go of the reddened ear. "Mou, you're cruel, Omi-chan."

"Oh, shut up. Ken-kun?" Cerulean eyes stared at brown ones. Ken had one hand placed over his mouth, tightly. His face was turning blue from the lack of oxygen. Schuldich went up to him and pulled away the hand, causing Ken to double over in laughter.

"What's wrong with him?" Nagi directed the question to his boyfriend.

"I don't know."

"God, Omi…" Ken tried to stop his laughing but failed miserably. "You look…awfully..maternal…HAHAHA!!"

"Now that you brought it up…" the German redhead turned and looked at Omi intensely, then at Nagi and back to Omi. "I didn't know you had an overgrown kid, Omittchi. Wait…you're, what? Eighteen? Nagi's 15…whoa! You had him when you were THREE?!"

"You're not funny, Schuldich-kun," Omi glared daggers at the older man.

"You're no fun, Omittchi."

"Tch."

"Man, I can hear you guys all the way down the block," Yoji mumbled as he stepped inside the shop.

"Ah, the main man is here," Schuldich went over and draped an arm around the blonde's shoulder. "Project Abyssinnian will now begin."

"What kind of stupid name is that?" Nagi raised an eyebrow.

"Don't question your elders, boy!"

"You never did tell us what you planned to do…" Nagi ignored the redhead's latest comment.

"Oh? Well, it's simple. We run in, drag the girl out of her house then proceed to beat her senseless."

Four pairs of eyes blinked at him.

"Kidding! Jesus… We're not doing anything today. The weather report did not come in yet. We're just going out clubbing, is all."

"'Weather report'?" Yoji looked at him.

"Brad didn't get his visions yet," Schuldich translated. "The last one he got was the one where he saw Sakura giving herself to Ran as a present during the birthday party."

"Wait…let me get this straight. Brad knew all along what was going to happen last night and no one cared enough to inform me about it?!"

"Yes, that's right."

"You--!! ARG! Why do I even bother with you jerks?!" And with that, Yoji stormed out of the shop.

Three pairs of angry eyes leveled a nasty glare at the redhead, who gulped and chuckled weakly.

"What? Was it something I said?"

****

[Ende]

Ending Notes: Beware of some Sakura bashing in future parts. Not much…just a tiny bit. You probably won't even notice it! ^^;;;


	5. Chapter V

****

The Birthday Gift

[Chapter V]

By: Raiha-chan

Warnings: Shounen ai, may be a bit OOC in some areas.

Pairings: RanxYoji, hints of NagixOmi.

Disclaimers: Weiß Kreuz and its character do not belong to me. Please do not sue me. My wallet is called "The Fly House" for a reason. ~.~;;

// denotes thoughts.

% denotes mental communication

* * *

****

[July 5, night]

The door opened to the darkened room. The boy slid himself inside and immediately slumped down to the bed. He gave a heartfelt sigh and rolled over onto his back, staring up at the ceiling, lost in thoughts.

//Finally, peace and quiet//

But, try as he may, those two things don't usually last long.

A series of loud knocking, bordering on pounding, came at the door. He ignored it and proceeded to stuff his face into the pillow. Soon, the knocks ceased, but only to be continued by loud calls of his name.

When he couldn't take it anymore, he threw the pillow down, stood up and stalked towards the door. He yanked it open and the young brunette standing outside beamed cheerfully up at him.

"Ran-kun, I---" Sakura started but was stopped as the redhead zoomed past her without a word. "Ran-kun? Matte yo, Ran-kun!"

Ran ignored the young girl and head downstairs. His name continued to sound out from the top of the stairs, causing Aya to appear.

"What's wrong, oniisan?" Aya looked up at him, from the foot of the stairs. Ran stopped in his tracks and looked at his sister. Then he cast a cold glance up towards the other girl.

"Iie, nothing is wrong," the redhead continued his way downstairs. "I'm going out."

"Wait, oniisan--!"

+~+~+~+~+

The redhead eyed the other man tiredly. The latter stared back at him, making no move from the tree he was leaning on. The silence stretched on continuously until Ran broke it.

"What do you want? I don't need anymore harassment."

Brad rose an eyebrow. "Let me guess---Schuldich?"

"Do I even need to dignify that with an answer?"

"No, I guess not."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"What do you want?" Ran's words came out harsh and ice-cold.

"Let's go somewhere."

Ran blinked.

The American pushed himself away from the tree and took a hold of the stunned redhead's hand. "Let's go."

+~+~+~+~+

"Why the fuck are you taking me…HERE?!" Ran shot his patented glare at the American.

"It's a club," the American responded, matter-of-factly.

"It's a GAY club."

"Oh, please, like it's a secret anymore."

Ran spent his next few moments opening and closing his mouth, imitating a fish. He could feel his face grow hotter by the second.

"H-how did you…uso!"

"Yup. It's everybody's favorite redhead," Brad pulled his face into a disgusted expression then went blank again. "Aside from you."

"I'm not going in." Ran pulled another glare.

"You will, even if I have to drag you in."

"You wouldn't."

A dark eyebrow twitched. With much speed, the American took a hold of the redhead's shirt collar and dragged the stunned redhead inside. Halfway to the entrance, the latter began protesting.

"Shut up!" Brad hissed into Ran's ear. "Don't make a commotion now. Just follow me inside. It won't kill you."

Ran shot another heated glare at the American. If looks could really kill, the American would be long dead by now. Despite the expression Ran carried with him all the way inside, he didn't protest anymore.

%Danke, Bradley%

%You owe me%

%Of course. Next time you want a quick fuck, you know where to find me%

The American choked.

+~+~+~+~+

"Think of it this way," Schuldich held up a glass. "You know those two won't have a happy ending. Wait 'til they've broken up then you can move in."

"They haven't started dating yet," Yoji reminded.

"What makes you so sure?"

"Must you bring my hopes down?"

"I'm not intending on doing that. It was only a simple and innocent question."

"Bitch."

"Slut."

"Fuck off."

"Tch. Oh, I see Bradley now. And our victim beside him. Whoa."

"What?"

"You COULD look up and see for yourself, you know."

"Don't feel like it."

"Yes, well…Red just got hit on. Okay, so he's getting his ass felt."

Yoji's head snapped up quickly and accessed the crowded room for the redhead. He located the latter, along with Brad, near the entrance. But no one else beside them that was paying any attention to them.

"You liar."

"Don't believe everything you see and hear. Hasn't anyone taught you that? Anyhow, Bradley is going to get a booth. We're staying."

"What's your genius plan?"

"You'll see."

"Something tells me I don't want to."

* * *

****

[July 6, early afternoon]

The first thing Yoji noticed when he woke up was the throbbing pain in his head. He passed that off as another hangover from the night before. The second thing he noticed was one pale hand lying above his torso.

He passed THAT off as a one-time fling with a girl at the club from the night before. He closed his eyes to attempt sleep again, only to have them snapped open wide.

Since when did he ever pick up girls in a gay club?

Turning his head to the right, he thought he caught strands of red locks peeking out from under the comforter. Using his left hand, he rubbed his eyes then looked over to his right again.

Yep, there was that strand of red hair again.

//Okay, so I had a fling with a redhead. No big deal, right? OH SHIT!//

%You're a funny guy, Kudou%

Yoji let out a soft groan. %How did I managed to get into this mess?%

%You're a re~al funny guy%

%Shut it. What's so funny?%

%I'm not the one you slept with, you ditz. Why don't you take a closer look?%

Yoji swallowed hard and pulled the comforter down and away from the other's face. He gasped at the sight before him.

%Good luck, boy%

Ignoring the telepath, Yoji continued to gape at the boy before him. He snapped out of his daze when those pair of eyes opened.

"O-ohayo…" Yoji croaked out.

"Hmm," the redhead closed his eyes again and snuggled closer to the blond.

"Uh…R-ran?"

"What?"

"What are you…we doing?"

Ran picked his head up and blinked at the older boy. "What?"

"I mean…you're in my bed and did we…?"

%You truly are a funny boy%

Overwhelmed by the confused feeling he held, plus the annoyance of Schuldich, Yoji felt something in him snap.

"SHUT UP!" Yoji screamed to no one in particular. He pushed himself off the bed and ran to the bathroom, where he then locked himself inside.

****

[Ende]


	6. Chapter VI

****

The Birthday Gift

[Chapter VI]

By: Raiha-chan

Warnings: Shounen ai, may be a bit OOC in some areas.

Pairings: RanxYoji, hints of NagixOmi.

Disclaimers: Weiß Kreuz and its character do not belong to me. Please do not sue me. My wallet is called "The Fly House" for a reason. ~.~;;

// denotes thoughts.

% denotes mental communication

++ denotes communication through commlinks

* * *

****

[July 6, late afternoon]

"Yoji-kun?" Omi knocked on the door and still received no response from inside.

"Maybe he went out," Ken suggested, from his seat on the bed.

"The bathroom door is still locked."

"He could've locked it on his way out."

"From the inside."

"Oh."

"Omi," Ran appeared at the room's entrance. "Is he still in there?"

"Aa," Omi nodded.

"You guys get back and open the shop. I'll take care of it here."

"You sure?" Ken got up from the bed and moved towards the door.

"Yes."

"Come on, then, Omi," Ken headed out into the hallway. Omi soon followed. Ran was about to close the door when Ken decided to ask him a question before leaving.

"What happened to get him like this anyway?"

"I don't know," Ran replied, before closing the door. He didn't move from his spot, staying to listen to the soft footfalls outside. When they were gone, the redhead finally moved towards the bathroom.

Ran rapped on the door three times and received no response. He knocked again, and still, there was no reply from within.

"Yoji? I know you're in there. Answer me."

+~+~+~+~+

"Yoji? I know you're in there. Answer me."

Yoji continued his stare up at the white ceiling. He felt numb. Nothing really registered in his head. Lost in his own world, he could barely hear the pleas from outside; could barely hear the loud knocking.

He came crashing down back to earth, however, when the door met the hard floor. Yoji turned his head sideways too quickly, causing his vision to suddenly blur and a minor headache coming on.

His body slumped further down into the tub of water, so deep that the water nearly passes his nose. Yoji slid his eyes down at the sudden fatigue when a pair of strong hands suddenly pulled him out.

Forcing his eyes open, he gazed into cold amethyst ones.

"R-ran?"

"What the hell were you doing in here, Yoji?" Ran managed to get out through gritted teeth.

"I…" Yoji's teeth chose this time to begin chattering. Letting one hand go, Ran grabbed a towel from the rack beside him and wrapped it around the taller blond. When the older boy began shivering, the redhead pulled him into a tight embrace.

The two stayed like that for what seemed to be eternity. Finally, when Yoji have stopped shivering, Ran lets go and turned away.

"Ran, I…"

"Shut up. Just…shut up. Get dress." Without another backward glance, Ran walked out of the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Yoji silently obeyed his departing commands.

When Yoji finally headed back into his bedroom, the redhead was already gone. Dumping the wet towel onto the bed, Yoji padded downstairs to the kitchen for some food.

* * *

****

[July 7, early night]

"Man, you sure you can handle this?" Ken looked at him, concern filled his big brown eyes.

"Of course," Yoji chewed on his unlit cigarette.

"No offense but I don't think you can."

"And why not?"

"You've been all…jittery, ever since yesterday. Something is wrong with you and you're not telling us what."

"Of course not. If there were something wrong with me, I'd tell you. But I'm perfectly fine."

"Who are you trying to fool?" a nasal voice spoke from behind them.

"No one," Yoji glared half-heartedly at the German.

++Balinese?++

++Yes?++

++Someone is heading towards your direction++

++Who?++

++Two guards. They look easy. Take them out then head towards the database room. Nagi is waiting there, already taking care of the data++

++Good++

Yoji stood up. "Well, you heard what the kid said."

+~+~+~+~+

%Hey, you%

%What do you want now, Schuldich?%

%You're very rude%

%What do you want?%

%Kudou is injured%

%Where and how?% Ran picked up his crimson-colored katana and started his way down the dark and empty halls.

%Keep going straight, then turn left at the third intersection. It's a gun wound. Doesn't seem to be too fatal. The boy probably won't die%

%That was assuring%

%Can I ask a question?%

%When can I ever stop you from doing so?%

%More likely, never. But anyway, do you feel for Kudou?%

Ran nearly tripped over his own foot. %No%

%You're a funny guy, Red, just like Kudou. It's never a healthy thing when you keep emotions bottled up all inside you%

%Since when did you get all philosophical?%

%Haha, very funny, Red. When you're done retrieving Kudou, get out. Omi had the place wired to blow up in about 6 more minutes. That should be enough time for you to get out in one-piece%

%Aa%

%See you outside, Red. Hopefully%

%Asshole%

Schuldich laughed in his head, and then was gone. Ran continued his way down the hall and finally made it to the third intersection. He made a sharp left and found Yoji slumped against the wall, hand clutching his right hand. The crimson fluid was beginning to dampen the sleeves of his jacket.

"Balinese!" Ran hissed, as he ran over to help his comrade.

"Something…to stop the flow…?" Yoji rasped out. "God, this shit hurts."

"I would like to think so," Ran pulled at the hem of Yoji's jacket. "Let me borrow this for a second…" With a low tearing sound, Ran ripped part of the cloth off, drawing a protest from the owner of the jacket.

"Shut up," Ran mumbled before Yoji could say another word. Tying the knot as tight as he could, the redhead stood up and held out a hand. Yoji grabbed onto it with his uninjured hand and pulled himself up.

+~+~+~+~+

"OWWW!"

Omi winced at the sound. "Can he be anymore loud? Mou!"

"He's a sissy," Ken snickered.

"OWWWWW!!! DO YOU MIND?! AAHHH!!!!!"

"Somebody ought to go up there and shut that pretty mouth of his," Schuldich drawled out lazily, from the couch.

"That's a great idea, Schu," Nagi responded. "Why don't you go since you suggested it?"

"I'd rather die first."

"What's so bad about going up there to shut his screams up?"

"Have you heard his screams lately?"

"AAAHHH!! STOP IT STOP IT STOOOOOOOOP ITTTTTTTTT!!"

"If I go up there, my eardrums will burst within 10 feet away from the foot of the stairs."

"Yes, well, SOMEONE have to go up there and tell him we're all going home anyway," Nagi shot a look at the German.

"Why it gotta be me?" Schuldich snarled. The four young men stared each other down. Finally, after about five minutes of staring, they've had enough. Picking themselves up from their seats, they grabbed their stuff and ran out of the house, all screaming 'we're leaving Yoji' at the top of their lungs.

+++++

"Hey, did you hear that?" Yoji's ears perked up.

"Now like I could even if I wanted to," Ran mumbled, as he wrapped another end of the bandage around the injured arm. Two small white tissues poke out of both his ears.

"I'm not so loud…"

"No, that's why I need makeshift earplugs."

"Tch. OW!"

"God, how much longer do I have to endure this?"

"You? YOU?! What about ME? I'M the one in pain!!"

"I'll bet…"

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Yoji tilted his head to a side. He stared at the redhead in front of him. The latter grew uncomfortably silent for a while. "Ran? What's up?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"Huh?"

"What the hell was going on with you yesterday, huh?"

"I…"

"Never mind it, Kudou. I'll pretend that night never happened if you wish for it. I don't force people to commit to things they don't want to commit to."

"W-what are you talking about?"

"What?"

"That night…what…how did we…?"

"Schuldich's big genius plan," Ran rolled his eyes. "Somehow, he roped in Brad in this plan of his. Both of them slipped happy pills into our drinks."

"Why…?"

"Why what?"

"You know damn well what I meant."

Ran looked at the blond for a moment before breaking off into a sigh. "Since things are already fucked up enough, thanks to Schuldich, I guess I should tell you now…"

"What? Tell me what? A secret of yours?" Yoji looked at the redhead, excitedly.

"Aa…something like that…" Ran's face took on a slight pink color.

//He's blushing…// Yoji blinked.

"…Suki da…"

****

[Ende]


	7. Chapter VII

****

The Birthday Gift

[Chapter VII]

By: Raiha-chan

Warnings: Shounen ai, may be a bit OOC in some areas.

Pairings: RanxYoji

Disclaimers: Weiß Kreuz and its character do not belong to me. Please do not sue me. My wallet is called "The Fly House" for a reason. ~.~;;

// denotes thoughts.

% denotes mental communication

* * *

__

"…Suki da…"

****

[July 7, night]

Yoji blinked numerous times. He opened his mouth for a remark before closing it and deciding that he had none.

"What?" Ran looked up at him, coolly.

"You…what did you just say?"

"Never mind," Ran stood and walked towards the door. "Forget I ever said anything."

"Wait, Ran!" Yoji stalked towards the door, before having it slammed in his face.

%You're that oblivious%

%Wonderful, you again. What do you want now?%

%Let me ask a question%

%What?%

%You like Red. Red likes you. Why don't you two just get together? Screw Sakura's infatuation with Red%

"If he could do that, it'd be nice, won't it?" a new and familiar voice spoke up. Yoji whirled around quickly.

"What…!"

"What?" Brad blinked at him, his head tilted to a side.

"Is my thoughts open to everyone?!"

"Only if Schuldich permits," Brad jerked his thumb behind him. The mentioned redhead came up.

"Yo," Schuldich held up a hand in greeting. Yoji didn't reply and the redhead turned to the other Schwarz member. "Just WHAT did you mean by 'if he could do that'?"

"And you don't know because…?"

"Well, then, clue ME in," Yoji spat out.

Brad turned to him, pushing his glasses up. "Ran doesn't know you like him, now does he?"

"Iie…"

"You acted like you regretted what happened last night."

"I don't…"

"You were only confused."

"Yes!"

"But Ran begs to differ. He likes you, yes, but he doesn't want to be with someone who doesn't like him back."

"I think he's going to go for Sakura soon…" Schuldich grinned.

"I fucked up bad, eh?" Yoji groaned, slumping down onto the bed.

"Not really…" Brad shot a look at the redhead beside him. "Since Schuldich was the one who messed up your relationship, he'll fix it up."

"WHAT?!"

"No arguments. You're helping and that's final."

+~+~+~+~+

"Oy."

"What are you doing here?" Ran didn't look up from the book he was so engrossed in.

"There's something I need to tell you."

"Shoot."

"Er…well, where should I start?"

"How about telling me why you did what you did last night?"

"Uh…" Schuldich rubbed the back of his head. He eyed the gleaming katana sitting by the wall right beside the bed. The German was fearless, yes, but God only knows what Ran might do if he goes insane on him.

//And he's only went berserk like a million times on me…//

The German shivered when the memory of the first day of the truce came back to haunt him. In short, Schuldich nearly ended up in the hospital had the others not interfered.

//Who knew he could fight so well? Huh, could've fooled me//

The redhead on the bed coughed, causing Schuldich to snap back to reality.

"What?"

"You were saying something."

"Oh, right. Yeah, well, about last night… I thought I did you a favor."

"What you did was to ruin a friendship between me and Yoji."

"Tch, I thought that between you and Yoji, you'd be the more observant one. Alright, here's the deal.

"Kudou likes you. He's been kinda screwed ever since that night of your party. Since he was so stupid as to not know what he should do, I thought I'd help. And well…you know the rest."

Ran became silent, before finally replying so softly that Schuldich had to ask him to repeat what he said.

"He doesn't like me."

"Why the hell would you think that? And don't give me that crap about someone like you shouldn't be loved."

"…"

"Ah, you're talking about his reaction to that night, aren't you?"

"…"

"Can't really blame the boy," the German flopped down beside the other redhead, on the bed. "He doesn't know you like him back and he was confused."

"He doesn't like me."

"You're still stuck on that? Gee, it's time to face reality, Red. The boy likes you."

The room fell into a deep silence following Schuldich's words. The German studied Ran. He could see gears running in the latter's head.

"What about Sakura?" Ran finally asked, in a soft whisper.

"What about her?"

"She's like a second sister to me. I don't want to hurt her."

"It's infatuation she held for you. Dump her and she'll bounce back so there's nothing you really have to worry about. You COULD match her up with someone, if nothing else seems to work for you."

"Who?"

"Some random boy?"

"Would that help?"

"Can't guarantee it. But I'm sure there are other boys in her school that is as cute as you are. We could ask Aya-chan to help find her a match, too."

+~+~+~+~+

The young brunette stood outside the door, fidgeting uncomfortably. Fingers clenched together, the girl continued standing and staring at the door.

Suddenly the door opened.

"Aya-chan? What are you doing here?" Schuldich asked.

"I came to look for oniisan," Aya replied softly.

"He's in there," the German jerked his thumb backwards then walked away.

"Oniisan?" Aya continued standing in her place, not moving an inch.

"Come in here, imouto," the voice responded from inside. Aya obeyed and closed the door behind her as she went in.

"Oniisan, there's something I want to tell you."

"Nani?"

"Gomen."

"Doushite? You didn't do anything wrong."

"I…for what I made you do three days ago. I know it's wrong for me to force you take Sakura like that. For the past three days, I did nothing but regret about what I did. Honto ni, gomen nasai." Tears brimmed at the corners of the young girl's eyes.

Ran stared back at her, silent. The young girl squirmed uncomfortably under the cold gaze her brother held towards her.

"If you hate me, it's okay, 'niisan. I shouldn't have--"

"Iie. I don't hate you."

Aya brightened slightly. "Do you really mean it?"

"Aa."

"I'm glad." Aya remained silent as the redhead watched his sister quietly. The young brunette seemed to fighting an internal battle with herself, from what Ran can get by watching the other's eyes.

"Is there something wrong, imouto?" Ran finally asked, breaking the silence.

"A-a…" Aya looked down at her feet, a slight tint of pink creeping up on her cheeks. "Oniisan…d-do you…"

"What is it, Aya?"

"Are you…do you like…"

Ran blinked as the girl suddenly turned away so that he was facing her back. "Imouto?"

"Do you like Yoji-kun?"

The question was asked so quickly and softly that the redhead had trouble catching it but he heard it nonetheless.

"Doushite?"

"I-I was just wondering, is all…"

"Why were you wondering, then?"

"I…Sakura-chan had a hunch that Yoji-kun might like you…"

"So why are you asking me if I like him?"

"My own hunch."

"Aa."

"I'll leave you now. Oyasumi, oniisan." Aya turned the doorknob and was about to leave the room when her brother called out for her to stop.

"Yes, 'niisan?" Aya turned around and looked at the redhead quizzically.

"What if I DID like Yoji?" Ran asked.

"Then I'd be happy for you," Aya smiled warmly.

"You wouldn't be disgusted?"

"Iie. Why would I? Yoji-kun is a nice man." Aya clapped her hands together suddenly and beamed brightly at her brother. "Besides, you two make a cute couple together!"

Ran choked.

"But," Aya's face became serious. "There's still Sakura-chan. I know you don't like her the way she likes you, oniisan, and I'm perfectly fine with the way you feel. If you ever need anything, I'm always here to help you. I don't want to see you unhappy."

"Aya…" Ran held out his hands silently. Without another word, the young brunette ran towards her brother's embrace. "Arigato."

"Hmm?" Aya looked up at the redhead. "Why?"

"For being so understanding."

"You're welcome, then."

Ran hugged his sister tighter. He gave the bundle in his arms one last squeeze before letting go. "You should go to sleep now."

"Hai. Oyasumi nasai, oniisan." Aya leaned up and gave a light peck on her brother's pale cheek.

"Oyasumi." Ran smiled slightly as he ruffled the young girl's hair. The latter stood up and gave him another smile before retreating from the room. Once she was gone, Ran let out a soft sigh.

+~+~+~+~+

****

[July 7, midnight]

She stared at the gun, eyes dead. Her hand shook slightly; her entire body laid against the cold wall, trembling not of fear, but anticipation.

If possible, her eyes went even more dead as her hand rose and the cold steel rested against her temple.

Her eyes closed and her fingers moved on its own volition. A gunshot rang throughout the still night.

%Stupid girl%

****

[Ende]


	8. Chapter VIII

****

The Birthday Gift

[Chapter VIII]

By: Raiha-chan

Warnings: Shounen ai, may be a bit OOC in some areas.

Pairings: RanxYoji, tiny hints of SchuxRan

Disclaimers: Weiß Kreuz and its character do not belong to me. Please do not sue me. My wallet is called "The Fly House" for a reason. ~.~;;

// denotes thoughts.

% denotes mental communication

* * *

****

[July 7, pre-dawn]

Schuldich stare down at the bundle in his arms. His pair of jade-colored eyes held a touch of pity in them.

"Well?" the American looked at him.

"'Well' what?" Schuldich took his eyes away and fixated them on the figure in front of him.

"What are you going to do with her?" Brad jerked his head slightly towards the girl in the redhead's arms.

"I don't know. You got any ideas on you?"

"Maybe you should start with the bleeding." The American sounded rather amused with the situation at hand.

"Good idea," Schuldich grinned and set the body down onto the hard floor. "Pity that I don't have anything to clean it up with, though."

Brad scoffed lowly beside him.

"I don't understand why she must live," the silent Irishman spoke.

"Her death would hurt God, would it not, Farfarello?" Brad's eyes wandered to the shadows. A silver gleam and a light chuckle were his only answer.

"Farfarello asked a good question," another voice said, softly. "Why DID you allow her to stay alive, Schuldich?"

"As much as she will be in the way," the German stood. "I don't think Red would be too happy to find her body in a dumpster sometime in the next couple of days. She may appear to be an obstacle but we could always work around her."

"Why did she try to kill herself anyway?" the young boy asked.

"You're a stupid boy, aren't you, Nagi?" Schuldich shook his head. Ignoring the heated glare the young assassin shot him, the German continued.

"It's simple. She doesn't really want to die. She figured that if she went far enough, Red would start feeling something for her. Whether this feeling is what she wanted or not, she thought she can work with it so this feeling can develop into something more."

"In other words, she tried suicide so Red would be the guilty party," Brad said in a low tone. The silence fell over them for a moment before the youngest spoke.

"Why did Schu said so much crap when all that was needed to know was what Crawford said?"

"Because Schu is an idiot," the white-haired psychopath chuckled.

"Let me guess," Schuldich rolled his eyes. "My idiocy hurts God."

"Damn right."

+~+~+~+~+

%Are you awake?%

%I am now% Ran rubbed his eyes tiredly. He strained his neck trying to have a view of the clock by his bedside.

%It's barely 5 am yet. What the hell are you doing?%

%There's something you need to know%

%What?%

%Come down for a second, will ya?%

%…Where?%

%Back alley, outside your apartment%

As much as he hated it, Ran got up anyway. He made it his way out to the bathroom, where he then splashed his face with some cold water, waking him up completely.

Pulling on a jacket, the redhead headed downstairs and went outside to where the German said he'd be waiting.

Nagi was standing outside the alleyway, waiting for him. The young boy was giving him an odd look when he approached him. It seemed to be pity.

//Pity for what?//

Ran blinked when he realized that the emotion wasn't directed towards him.

"He's waiting inside," Nagi nodded curtly. Ran headed into the dark pathway, with the young telekinetic following behind.

+++++

They were standing in an opened circle. A figure lay on its side between them. Ran tried to make out who it was from where he was. All he could see was the tints of brown that appeared to be the figure's hair color.

But by the built the figure had, it had to have been a female.

Getting closer to the small group, the redhead finally was able to get a good glimpse of who the figure was.

He froze in his tracks and let out a small gasp. Nagi was caught off guard as he bumped into the older boy.

"Yo," came Schuldich's greeting.

What surprised Ran wasn't the fact that Sakura was there, but rather because of the blood.

"What the fuck did you do to her?!" Ran demanded, fists clenched.

"Whoa, whoa!" Schuldich took a step back and held up his hands. "First of all, we didn't do a thing. She tried to kill herself. Had Brad not foreseen this earlier, she'd already be dead."

Ran remained silent, trying to process the new piece of information in his head. "Why did she tried to kill herself then?"

"It's a typical girl thing, I guess," Schuldich nudged the unconscious figure lightly with his right foot. "Wanted to make you feel guilty for her death."

The redhead blinked. "D-doushite?"

"She had a feeling that Yoji liked you as something more than just a friend," Brad replied, adjusting his glasses a bit. "And somehow, also found out that you liked Yoji back. Therefore…"

"My motto," Schuldich interrupted the American. "No one can have what I can have."

"She'd rather die and have you pay by feeling guilty for the rest of your life, than to hand you over to Yoji-kun," Nagi added quietly.

Ran felt a headache coming as he tried to process all this information. Surely, those four must have misunderstood something. Sakura wouldn't…

%How would you know?%

Ran's head snapped up. The German was staring at him, all amusement gone from his face.

%How would you know she wouldn't? You can't possibly know what the other is thinking. You can't judge her by her actions alone. It's always the quiet ones you have to watch out for%

%I…%

%I picked up something before she fell. Would you like to hear her last thoughts before she went to meet her maker?%

%A-aa…%

//Ai shitteru, Ran…//

%People would do just about anything to get what they want% Schuldich looked at him strangely.

Suddenly, he was very tired. Everything around fell into a deep silence. The other Schwarz members were gone, too, it seemed.

"What do you want to do with her?" the German switched back to normal speech. "I called you down here for that. The blood has already stopped flowing, by the way."

"Bring her inside," Ran responded, quietly.

"You sure?"

"Aa."

"What do you plan to do with her when she wakes up?"

"I…don't know." Ran looked up at the German. The latter let out a small involuntary gasp.

There it was; the redhead looked at him with such desperation in his eyes. The once ice-cold bastard now had his emotions running around him in its nakedness. Schuldich nearly pitied him.

"This is going to change something, isn't it?" Ran asked, lowering his gaze back down onto the ground, never once meeting the figure.

"No," the German stepped a bit closer to the other and wrapped his arms around the other. He realized that the other redhead was shaking slightly.

"It doesn't have to change a thing," Schuldich reassured, stroking the crimson-colored hair gently. The German rested his chin atop Ran's head and the two stayed in that position, in silent, for what seemed to be an eternity.

****

[Ende]


	9. Chapter IX

****

The Birthday Gift

[Chapter IX]

By: Raiha-chan

Warnings: Shounen ai, may be a bit OOC in some areas.

Pairings: RanxYoji or YojixRan, hints of SchuxRan

Disclaimers: Weiß Kreuz and its character do not belong to me. Please do not sue me. My wallet is called "The Fly House" for a reason. ~.~;;

// denotes thoughts.

% denotes mental communication

* * *

****

[July 8, morning]

They were all shocked, but other than that, no one really felt anything else. No pity, sadness…nothing. It wasn't as if they hated the poor thing or anything.

"Hey, she's waking up…" Ken looked up from the figure on the bed. Ran rushed over to the bedside, with Schuldich in tow. Omi had disappeared from the room a while back to open up shop. Yoji had followed the young boy.

Brown orbs peered open. Its gaze focused on the three faces before it then widened beyond its limit.

Sakura jumped up from the bed, causing the three boys to take a sudden step backward. "Ran-san! Ken-san! Schuldich-san! W-what are you…? I-I…"

Her mouth pursed together as she turned her head away. The room fell into an uncomfortable silence. Ken was the one to break the trance.

"I'm going to go down to help Omi and Yoji," Ken turned and walked out of the room hastily.

"I'll leave, too," the German said as he turned towards the door. Before he took a step forward, Ran reached out and pulled at his hand.

%Stay%

%What? Why? I think you should be alone…%

%Just stay, goddammit!%

%Alright, fine%

"Tch," Schuldich turned back towards the girl. His emerald orbs hardened as they focused on brown ones. He could see the girl visibly shrink back from his gaze.

"Anou…" a small blush crept over Sakura's cheek. Her fingers was fiddling with the bandage that concealed the wound beneath. "Ran-san, I…"

"Why? Why did you do it?"

Sakura squirmed under both pairs of eyes uncomfortably. She swallowed hard and responded to the question in a barely audible whisper.

"I didn't do it for you…"

%Liar, liar, pants on fire%

Ran glared at the German for a second before turning back to Sakura. "Then why did you do it? For someone else?"

"I…"

%Whoa…you should take a look at all that names she got in that head of hers…%

%Stop it!%

%No, seriously… Look at that. There's Ken, Omi, Brad…she's desperate. She even got Farfarello in there!%

Ran let out a mental groan. "Sakura. Please tell me. Why did you try to kill yourself?"

The young brunette didn't answer. Instead, she threw a question back at the redhead. "Do you have anyone you would die for?"

"W-what?" Ran blinked, taken aback by surprise.

"Do you?"

"Aa…"

"Who?"

"My imouto, of course."

"That's the only one?"

"Aa. Doushite?"

"If I could die for anyone…do you know who I'd die for?" Ran didn't answer so the young girl continued. "You. I'd die for you."

Ran blinked. Schuldich yawned loudly. He wasn't just bored; he was beyond bored. When the redhead made no move to response to the girl's words, the German stride forward and slipped his hand atop the mass of brown hair.

"You…have got to be…" A small chuckle flew past the German's lips.

"Schu…"

"A-anou…"

"…the stupidest girl in this world," the German redhead finished as he withdrew his hand. Sakura was left blinking at the redhead's retreating figure.

%What the fuck was that all about?!%

%It's true%

+~+~+~+~+

"Do you even know what love is?"

"N-nani?"

Schuldich looked at the girl, his eyes held a bored gaze. "Do you?"

"O-of course!"

"So you say you love Ran?" the German suddenly took an interest in his nails.

"Y-yes…"

%I don't understand what you're trying to do here% Ran looked up at the other redhead in the room.

Choosing to ignore that mental comment, Schuldich continued. "How do you feel when someone you love doesn't love you back?"

"…Sad, I guess…and maybe disappointed."

"Would you try to win him over? Even though you knew it'd be pointless?"

"…"

"Would you be willing to sacrifice the happiness of someone you loved for your own happiness?"

Sakura drew in a sharp breath and made no reply.

"This isn't love," Schuldich stared at her straight in the eye. "This is a mere schoolgirl crush; an infatuation."

"That's not true! I really love Ran-san, honto ni!"

"Oh? I have someone down there who also 'love' Ran. Comparing you both, why do I see such a big gap between you two?"

"Who are you talking about?" Sakura's eyes suddenly widened. "Is it…Y-Yoji-san?"

"Yes."

"M-masaka!" Sakura shook her head furiously, the corners of the lips curled upwards. "Ran-san wouldn't like him."

Ran opened his mouth and was about to speak when Schuldich silenced him mentally. The younger redhead obeyed.

"Why not?"

"B-because Yoji-san is a male! There's no way…"

"Are you homophobic?"

"W-what?!" Sakura's head snapped up. "No! Of course not!"

"Good. What if I were to tell you that not only does Yoji like Ran but the reverse is also true?"

"This can't be happening…" the girl mumbled.

"What if it is?"

The young brunette was on the verge of tears. She didn't answer and Schuldich had stopped speaking as well.

"Leave her alone," the silent redhead finally spoke up. Schuldich turned to him and gave him an unreadable look. "Leave her alone."

The German sighed and turned back to the sobbing girl. "I liked him, too. But he doesn't like me. There's nothing I can do about that. I can only sit on the sidelines and make sure he doesn't get hurt. I can sacrifice my own happiness for his. Why can't you?"

The sobs have quieted down a bit but Sakura have still not replied once.

"You can't change the way one feels about another. No matter how hard you try. Besides, there's still a lot of other fishes in the pond and you're still young. Why rush into things? Experiment a little, like me. You only get to be 16 once."

Ran stood up and stepped out of the room. Schuldich gave one last glance towards Sakura and followed Ran out.

Wiping the last of her tears dry, Sakura smiled sadly.

//Sayonara, Ran-san…//

+~+~+~+~+

"Why do I feel that your words were more directed to yourself than to Sakura?" Ran asked as Schuldich ran to catch up with him.

"Does it really matter to whom they were directed to?" Schuldich remarked as he slowed his steps a bit now that he had caught up. "They're true."

Silence swept through and lingered around for a few moments before its shield was broken.

"Ne," Ran stopped and looked up at the German.

"Hmm?" Jamming his hands into the pockets of his jeans, Schuldich looked at Ran, head tilted to a side.

"If I didn't like Yoji…" Ran diverted his gaze to the floor. "…I think I would fall for you if given the possibility."

"That's nice to hear," the German gave a smile.

"Thank you."

"Why?" They resumed walking again.

"For letting me know that you'll be there when I have no one else to turn to."

"Hey, don't count too much on me. Talk to me later and I'll give you a schedule of when I'll be available for talk. Afterall, I'm a busy man. And I ain't referring to missions."

Ran sighed. "Some things never changed, do they?"

"What? That I'm still a horny bastard? Nah, that pretty much stays the same."

The younger redhead laughed. Soon, the German joined in.

****

[Ende]


End file.
